HOLLYWOOD

The incident didn´t stop Meg to keep following her Hollywood dreams. Gina didn´t return the house, and despite attempts of Meg to reach her, she could never reach her again. She never replied to the phone and was nowhere around in town.

Following her wishes she did the screen tests for Vic. Her photogenic and screen presence were so unique, that the film crew that were present during the tests were mesmerized by her.

Vic knew he had a diamond in rough and was set to polish it.

“Those pale blue eyes will break all the box-office records in the world.” -His camera man told him while they were watching the footage afterwards.

Vic was determined to turn Meg into the biggest star in town. For that purpose, he demanded her to stop gambling, signed her in acting lessons with the best professors in town, and found her a cozy small apartment near the studio. She had no intention of continuing gambling, and her only thought was in not ruining that priceless opportunity of building a dream.

“The gambling life wasn´t a good way of living, sooner or later it would have ruined you, as it had done to many people” -Vic told her at his office, while they were discussing the script of what it was set to be her debut in the big screen. It was a supporting role in a romantic comedy titled, “Barcelona Dreams”

“We were making a living out of it; we were lucky it did go well.”

“I can tell that you were pretty talented.” -He recognized chuckling.

“Want some advice? Stop gambling, you aren’t any good.” -Meg teased him with full sincerity.

Vic chuckled again, laying his hand on Meg´s shoulder.

“What happened with your friend?”

“My friend?”

“The chick who didn´t like me, the red haired”

“Gina?”

“Yeah.”

“We had a disagreement, she didn´t support my idea of getting into the movie business.”

“I could tell by far that she was not good news.”

Meg moved away Vic´s hand from her shoulder and got up from the chair she was sitting to stare out the window of the office´s building, where she could clearly see the Hollywood sign in the hills.

“If weren´t for her I wouldn´t be here.”

Vic left his chair and approached Meg next to the window sharing the view of the Hollywood sign.

“So many people have ruined themselves for the bright of those letters…” -he said.

“They´re not bright, their dusty.”

“She knew that once the Hollywood gates were opened to you, she had been thrown out from your life.”

“I would have taken her with me anywhere I´d go.”

“That´s what you think now, but this is a ruthless town. The dust of those letters symbolizes that not everything in this town is as glamorous and beautiful as it seems. Is all façade.”

“She´s the reason why I got this town, I got my skills from her.”

“Since the very first time, I had the feeling that she wanted to own you.”

“Is not what you also want? If I make it big, you will also feel that I belong to you, that´s the movie business, isn´t it?”

“Believe me, is different, as soon as you make it big you´ll realize that you´ll be the owner of your destiny.”

“You got good marketing skills.”

“Once you make “Barcelona Dreams”, the world will be on your feet.”

“Is that another promise?” -She asked.

“I´m afraid is fate, but first we got to build it.”

“I wish I can be successful; I need to pay her back all that I owe her.” -she exclaimed in a dying sigh- “Our friendship didn´t deserve to end up like this.”

“Don´t commit that sin, being a good person is not a good business in this town.”

“I won´t allow to this town to steal my soul.”

 She stated truly believing it.

Vic Grabbed her by the shoulders, seeing himself in the reflection of her beautiful pale blue yes.

“The whole world is going to fall in love with you.”

Vic dared to kiss her, finding no opposition on his affections.

“Vic, you got a wife and a kid.” -She said slightly pushing him back.

“Forget about it, that´s the outside world.” -He said, insisting on his affections, kissing her with no opposition. She needed to be loved, she needed to fill the void that Gina had left with her departure and that evening she left herself go. They sank into passion in the office sofa, embarking in an enthusiastic journey that couldn´t go any further, that wouldn´t be an everlasting romance, but that would remain eternal in the writings of future movie historians that will write about it in cinema books.

A week later, Vic and Meg traveled to Barcelona to start filming the comedy, “Barcelona Dreams”.

It was a romantic comedy about an American guy, traveling to Europe pursuing dreams of entering into European soccer. In the meantime, he gets involved in a relationship with a Spanish female FIFA soccer agent, with the only intention to climb on his goal of entering a good European soccer team but neglecting and being unfaithful to his loyal girlfriend who waits for him in America, until she decides to surprise him, travelling to Barcelona. That was Meg´s role.

During the three weeks of filming, actress and producer were living a secret affair that they masterly knew how to keep it hidden from everyone, including the film crew. After all, Vic was a cheating husband, and that kind of gossip could have damaged the reputation he had been building during years as family guy.

Meg wasn’t in love with her, she was fully aware of, but since an early age she has always had someone who took care of her. Her parents, Marcus, Gina, and now that spot was taken by Vic.

She had remorse for getting involved with a married man, but found reassurance in the idea that she was now taking part of a frivolous world where nothing was sacred, and the idea, that it was just a matter of time that their relationship would cold off, made her feel less guilty. In the world of entertainment, the romances portrayed on the screen were the only ones that were meant to last.

“Barcelona Dreams” worked as well as expected on the International box-office, but got mixed reviews, however, nobody was oblivious to the bewitching charm of newcomer Meg´s pale blue eyes shining on the screen, as Vic predicted, she became the sensation of the film, and nobody could believe that the protagonist could leave her behind for another girl, for moviegoers was something unlikely improbable.

The fans demanded more from Meg, she was beautiful, radiant, and after Liz Taylor she probably had the most beautiful pair of blue eyes that had never appeared on the screen.

Right after, the “Barcelona dreams” filming was wrapped, Meg was travelling to Bulgari, to participate in a cheap production where she had a small role in an all-female actioner called “Operation Scorpio”. She had the small role of a lethal mercenary that only had twenty minutes of screen time; however, she was praised by everyone labeling her as the only memorable thing from a forgettable junk. One critic wrote:

“Once Meg Sullivan dies in the film, you can leave the screen room cause the rest is going to be a letdown.”

Back in the States, she appeared in a new romantic comedy titled “Friendzone”, playing a small role of a girl who dumps the star of the film in the first scene. Again, everyone agreed that she was the highlight of the film. She was called hilariously funny, and her talent needed to be display in better productions.

Vic took note and put her in a bigger project, a noir highly praised film titled “Broken Bonds”, where her name was second in the billboard after the big star, in the role of a femme fatale for which the protagonist of the story loses his head at the pin of almost getting killed.

She was nominated for an Oscar as supporting actress for that role calling the attention of all the talent agencies in town that were anxious for signing her.

With those recent successes, Vic felt that it was time to finally giving her the lead in a big production and after considering many different possibilities, Vic chose a horror film script that had been shelved on his office drawer for ages.

The project was called “Loveless Witch”. The plot revolves around an office Lady in New York City, who after discovering his boyfriend cheating on her, discovers that she´s the reincarnation of a Spanish Witch burned during the Spanish inquisition. The spirit of the witch finds in her vulnerability the way to possess her body and mind, and with her magical powers take revenge in his cheating boyfriend and all the cheating men in town.

It was a perfect role to showcase her talent and launch her into the stardom that inevitably waited for her.

Vic was so convinced that he had an international hit on his hand, that decided to take the director´s seat by himself. He had previously directed two films in Italy that flopped in the box-office, but this time it was different, he had Meg and a powerful script with which he could absorb moviegoers’ souls for the rest of eternity.

The filming of “Loveless Witch” started with expectations and lasted for three months. It was an ambitious project, and Vic took it like that. During the filming, the arguments between director and star were continuous and in more than one occasion, it threatened with the cancelation of the shooting.

However, both knew that this film was more important than their problems and their ego and they always found the way of reconciliation.

Nonetheless, their affair was cooling off, she was under full pressure and her only thought was going on vacation by her own after filming was wrapped.

After she completed all her scenes, Meg left for Europe where the positive reviews of the first screening caught her living a torrid romance with a Spanish waiter he had met in the hotel where she was staying in Madrid.

Mike was an aspiring writer unsuccessfully trying to get into the film business, nevertheless, until that point, he was surviving of odd jobs that little had to do with his dreams and aspirations.

Though she was gaining some recognition through films, he was too busy to go to cinema and didn´t know who she was. As most of the men, and women, that crossed her path, his soul was absorbed by her pale blue yes. For the first time in her life, she was feeling that was taking the reins of a relationship and put all her loving into that passionate romance.

She didn´t told her that she was a Hollywood rising star, but she told her about the great ideas she had for a movie script. She wanted to write a movie script based in Gina, and together they did the first drafts for a project titled “Gambling Queen”

It was the story of Gina, a gambling genius who inherited her skills form her father. A Gambler killed in a gambling game that went wrong.

Mike advised to add big doses of fiction to the story, and they added to the plot a romance subplot, creating a male character inspired on Meg, a handsome blue eyes brown hair man, and also a main plot driven by revenge, showing Gina avenging the man who killed her father.

However, that liaison was also never meant to last, and the romance ended as soon as she had to return to the States for the premiere of “Loveless Witch”

“Next time you´ll see me, I´ll be unreachable.” -She told her lover under the sheets of her hotel room the night before parting to America.

The film became in an international hit, with praise by critics and audience. Meg instantly became the biggest star in the world and the whole town was on her feet.

It was the biggest success in Vic´s career, and he just wanted to keep exploiting that success filming a sequel as soon as possible.

However, Meg was refusal on the idea. At that moment, her ambition pointed towards another direction. She wanted to film the “Gambling Queen” script, but Vic, didn´t even wanted to hear about. Everything on his mind was about to do a new “Loveless Witch”.

“I died in the ending of the film, how are we going to make a sequel?” -She complained on Vic´s office while they were negotiating for her next move.

“Are movies! You can relive with any excuse!”

“You got to read the gambling Queen script! The Spanish guy who wrote it is very talented! Is the right move to me! I need something similar to “Broken Bonds” and this story is the answer!”

“Written by Mike Garcia…” -He said reading the cover of the script- “Who the fuck is this guy? What the hell he had done?”

“He needs a first chance!”

“You want me to put money in an amateur?!

“Since when you became so unreasonable?!

“Me, unreasonable?! You left for Europe saying nothing!”

“My scenes were all complete! I needed a rest!”

“Is not about the film, is about us!”

“Vic, you are a married man, you got a kid!”

“That´s not the point!”

“It is the point!”

“Listen to me, Meg…”

“No, you listen to me, you didn´t even need “The Gambling Queen” script but you´re already rejecting it!”

“Welcome to LA, baby! That´s how things work here!”

“I won´t make that’s sequel!”

“Oh, sure you will!!” -He exclaimed pointing a finger at her- “We are going to make a trilogy.”

“That makes no sense.”

“The fans are demanding for more, that´s what matters!”

“Forget about it, because I´m not going to do it!”

“You´re under contract, you are going to do what I tell you do!”

“So, you also think that you own me?”

“This is business, Meg, when are you going to wake up?”

“I won´t do any sequels. My character is dead, there´s no point on doing it.”

“Stop the bullshit! You know you are going to do it!

“I won´t!”

“Don´t be stubborn, this is business!”

“I want to do my project!”

“You can do it afterwards!”

“Don´t you understand?! My project is about Gina, I owe her, she must know that I don´t hate her.”

“Gina, that bitch! She´s old news, Meg. You´re a star now!”

“We´re people, all this stardom bullshit means nothing to me!”

“Don´t

“Don´t challenge me, Meg. I could easily blacklist you in town.”

“Gina was right, you aren’t any different from the rest.”

“Gina, Gina, who the hell knows where is that bitch now?!… Probably selling her cunt for fifty bucks an hour in some dead-end alley.”

“Shut your mouth, you asshole.”- She screamed slamming the door in her way out.

Meg tried to escape from her contract, but her lawyers advised her not to do it, it could had been a serious financial blow to her. She had no other choice than agreeing to film the sequels of her biggest hit.

 Vic hurried on the production of “Loveless Witch Part 2: Renaissance”. He was busy with other projects and stepped out from the director´s chair. He hired a young newcomer to direct to whom he could control and signed to young writers to write the script. It wasn´t a good script, but Vic wanted to film as soon as possible. The story was dumb, simple and in some way, childish.

Meg´s character died in the first film sacrificing herself to stop the evil witch. As she was playing both characters, the witch and the office lady, they opted to bring back to life the spirit witch, who in the first film only appeared with spectral looks, but here, have adopted the looks of the office lady. Ripping off the plot of the original film, the witch gets into the people, seducing and murdering cheating men. Despite the lack of quality, the film did well financially being a new hit, however, it was backlashed by critics and for the first time, not even Meg was saved from the backlashed. They called their performance dull and lacked motivation and they were not wrong.

Meg hated the movie until the point that she refused to do a promotional tour which infuriated Vic.

Their affair was already over, though Vic was having a hard time accepting it. He was still under the spell of his actress and having lost her affection was consuming him inside, but he was too proud to recognize it. Nonetheless, he was determined to tie her by his side until she needed him again. He was still unaware that Had started conversation wither movie companies to finance her film project, she knew that she was just one “Loveless Witch” a way of making it happen.

This time she didn´t oppose on filming immediately a third and final installment of the series.

On this occasion, and considering the poor results of the previous film, Vic decided to take the reins again of the production, taking the director´s seat, however, his artistic aspirations weren´t the only reason for his direct involvement in the project, he was set to regain Meg´s love and affection.

The new script was surprisingly better than the lazy script for the previous one. It was a prequel set in Spain in the 15^th century, and the plot revolves around the origins of the evil witch of the first two films.

Meg discouragement to take part on this third film suddenly turned in a contagious enthusiasm, she loved the concept and took her job seriously and professionally, however, the shooting wasn´t a pleasant experience for her. Vic became a pain in her ass with his constant indecent approaches that she managed to appease gently rejecting the director with the excuse of her professionalism.

He was also pushing her to sign a new five-year contract deal that she had no intention to sign.

In fact, she had already almost closed a deal with another company to film the “Gambling Queen” script. But it was hard to keep in a town where gossip had a price and the information was leaked to the press, and that provoked that hell breaks loose in the set when there was only one week left of filming.

One Monday morning, Vic stormed into the set furiously, screaming and insulting Meg in unacceptable manner.

She was in her film costume and make up, but didn´t step back from confronting her boss.

“You´re a treacherous, bitch! How you dare to stab me in the back?! I made you; you owe me everything!” -He screamed in front of the film crew.

“Hold your reins! I don´t have to give you any explanations of anything I do in my life!! -She Said, getting on her face pointing at him with her finger, however, that didn´t discourage the producer to slap away her finger away and keep threatening her with ruining her career.

“I´m going to ruin you! You are not going to work anymore in this town!”

“Shut the fuck up and let´s start working!”

“I´m going to call off this shooting, I´m going to burn all the footage we have!! You don´t deserve to be here!”

“Shut the fuck up, you pedantic idiot! You own nothing in this fucking town!”

“Stabbing me on my back! I should have left you on that gambling joint where I found you!!”

“Do your fucking job and shut up, mediocre director!!”

The discussion escalated to a certain level of verbal violence that the crew had to intervene getting between them.

 Angry and unable to keep working, Vic left the set with no intention of coming back putting the production in jeopardy, but Meg was so pleased with the project that was not going to let it die in her hands, and decided to take the reins, taking the director´s chair for what was left of shooting. She was never credited, but it was a secret everybody knew in town.

To make thing worst, someone from the crew leaked the discussion to the press and the sensationalist tabloids were hot in the story for the next weeks.

Meg and Vic became the target for gossip columnists, whose went rough on Vic´s ruining his reputation, labeling as a despot abusive job, but not only that, the love affair they once had was also exposed to the press costing Vic his marriage, getting into a painful divorce process that left him in a very bad financial situation.

It became the beginning of a downfall, which ended with his death by overdose on his apartment in Rome 15 years later. In the years, previous to his death, he could never recall his previous successes. The doors of Hollywood got close for him and on his European exile, he directed a bunch of films that flopped very badly, throwing him into a depression that he tried to suffocate finding shelter in drugs and alcohol. He died completely alone.

 “Loveless Witch 3: Inquisition” became an overnight success, acquiring the instant love of big part of the fandom, and for many moviegoers it has been largely considered the best of the trilogy.

Despite the success, Meg and Vic never reconciled again. After the backlash he was receiving by the press and the public, he looked the way to recoup the bond of trust they once had, but Meg avoided him at all costs, locking him in the closet where she kept the past that will never be relive again. She never repented of her decision.

After her experience as one week director in “Loveless With 3”, Meg felt confidence in taking the step of directing “Gambling Queen”.

She traveled to Madrid in search of her Spanish lover to pay him for the script and offering him a job in her production as script consultant, which was just an excuse to retake the torrid romance they had in her Madrid vacations two years ago.

Mike was still a struggling writer with no credits on his back yet, and gladly accepted Meg´s proposal, moving with her to her big LA mansion.

Meg finally found that was taking control in her own life, not needing anyone to fulfill her dreams. Mike was just a pastime, someone to love and be loved, but not someone in who depend on. She still considered herself unlovable, unconquerable and her only desire at that point, was giving Gina the recognition she deserved, she felt that wherever she was, she would be grateful of that film, that she would comprehend that there was no hard feelings between them and that maybe someday, with a little bit of luck, they could be reunited again…

It was time to pay her debt,

It was time for the Gambling Queen!